Planoohaph co



F. W. EBELING.

SUBMABINE DBEDGgNG APPARATUS. APPucATloN man JuLY 1.1918.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

r. w. EBELIN'G.

SUBMARINE DREDGING APPARATUS.

' ma Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

APPLICATION FILED JULY! :ADM 8 NI/ENTOH Anon/vir run COLUMBIA PMNudmHC0.. WASHINGTON. D. c`

FREDERICK WILLIAM EBELING, `01? NEW YORK,- N. Y.

SUBMARINE DREDGING' APPARATUS.

`, To all `'warmt-'it may concern.'

' water,

"of the nozzle.

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. EBEL- ING, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in SubmarineDredging Apparatus, of whlch the following is a speci cation.

Thisinvention relates to improvements 1n submarine dredging apparatus,and seeks to provide a construction by which materials may be excavatedfrom sunken` vessels or barges, and which may be equally applicable forexcavating the beds of channels or other bodies `oi water, theconstruction and ar-` rangement being such that thematerials of a sunkenvessel or waterbed may be more easily excavated than by dredgingapparatus heretofore employed. The invention is particularly applicablefor salvage purposes and for placer-mining, and like operations, and isdesigned especially for disintegrating surfaces such as mud, sand,gravel, etc., as well as for recovering cargoes of sunken vessels.

The object of the invention is to provide ani apparatus for elevatingmaterials to be recovered without the employment of special auxiliaryelevating means, such as revolving screws or propellers, or agitatingdevices which are nowemployed for loosening and accelerating thedelivery of the substance being recovered or dredged.

The invention consists in the employment of an elevating pipe havinganozzle connected at its lower end in which there are arranged annularchambers into which air, water, or steam 'may be conducted and employedas an elevating medium to accelerate the elevation of the materialsbeing recovered or excavated, and also, whereby air, or steam `may bedirected towardthe lower end or mouth ofthe elevating tube or nozzle soas to displace any materials or ob` V jects that would tend to clog thelower end The invention still further consists in certain novel featuresof construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fullydescribed and then claimed.

i In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention,in` theseveral figures of which like` parts are similarly designated,

Figure `1` is a side elevation of the lower end of my improvedapparatus. Fig. 2 is a simi- '1ar viewvleoking at right-angles to Fig.1.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

Application filed. July 1, 1918.; Serial N0. 242.762.

Fig. 3 is' a sectional view of the lower end of the apparatus. Fig. 4 isa plan view of the extreme lower end of the apparatus the air inlettubes bein shown in section. Fi 5 is a detail view i ustrating aslightly diferent arrangement of construction.

1 (Figs. 1 and 2), designates the lower end of a flexible tube, such asthose employed in l submarine dredgingapparatus, designed to facilitatethe manipulation of dredging` tubes operated by divers. The lower end ofthe tube 1 isfconn'ected as by means of a suitablecoupling 2 with a pipe3 having its lower end threaded, as at 4f, to receive a coupling ring 5,which is designedto lock a nozzle 6 to the extreme lower end of the pipe3, the construction and arrangement being such that the several partsmay be l or other suitable substance, so as to provide an air-tightjoint between the upper and lower ends 11 and 12, respectively, ofuthesleeve 7 formed by the rings 8. This construction provides annularchambers at and between the upper and lower ends of the sleeve 7 and theelevating pipe 3. Arranged both at the upper and lower ends of` thesleeve 7 are rings 13, havin their inner .faces beveled as at 14, wherey to provide a channel 15 between the annular spaces and the upper andlower ends, respectively,`uof

l the sleeve 7, and having an outlet so asto accelerate the materialsbeing elevated.

In practice the rings y13 are riveted to the nozzle 6, but, as shown inFig. 5, I may "thread the upper and `lower ends of the nozzle 6 so thatthe rings 13 may be adjusted in order to increase or decrease the sizeof the openings between the upper and lower ends of the sleeve 7. Itwill be understood, of course, that the rings 13 will be provided withsockets to receive suitable Vtools for adjusting the rings `whereby toelevate or lower `them so as to increase or decrease the annular orificeat the respec tive ends of the sleeve 7 The lnozzle 6 is providedl withopenings 1'6 and 17, which are surrounded by suitably connected collars1'8 "having" 'shortV`4 lsleeves 19 threaded thereinltouwhich arevconnected elbows 20 havingv their outerfends threaded to receive[conducting pipesz21 and,

2l,'the upper"'endsof lsaid pipes being provided with couplings23:('Figs-f1land 2),

to receive flexible pipes 24C, eXtendingfrom a suitable air or water'pump (not-shown?,

or v'from an air receivingv tank (not shown arranged `upon a surfacevessel. "co-acting -with theapparatus;l 'A'sshown invligg's;l 1

and -2, the lpipes V21 "and '21 yare connected by. suitable"brackets 25'located adjacent to thefupperjendl ofthe' pipe-3, and are coupledadjacent. to their-lower endsasat'25" "so as to` facilitate 'thedisconnection off'the `:pipe 3 7, necessary in the employmentof air orwater as 'an elevating medium.

As; before stated, the invention" is -tdesigned `for vexcavatingmaterials v by .means of air, ywater,f`or steam, so as to elevatethematerials being operated upon and rto 'thus` force thefmaterial upthrough the delivery pipe 1. In practice the pipes 21`and 21 arelpreferably connected" to a compressed' `air receiving vtanlnlorto aforce pump,zor toa steam-'dome notshown), arranged upon a sur-faceAvessel for upon the shorejas the nature of the work being operated uponrequires, theisaid pipes being, of course, controlled bysuitable valves(notshown) controlling thev passage of air, water, Kor lsteamthroughithepipes 21,21, and 24.1 i 7 Ini operation, the pipel 3 isrst-adjuste intocloserelation with the work being operat'edv upon, thismayv be done by divers,` lor lfoperatorsworking frcm the deck of asur-face?vessel, or vfrom the bank of the wate1"s"edge. The valve.controlling the p l .troduced`l at vthe ylower endu of the conveyingpassage through' the pipe-,21 `is then` opened so as to admit air,water, .or'-steam,' as the icasefimaybe, in-'to -the annularfpassage 11,

from which it escapes-:through the opening. formed byzandbetween the.ring 13 and the upper'` end ofthe sleeve '77. .The air, water, orsteann-.thus escaping from fthe annular space 11, .naturally seeks# anupward .pas-A sage land has af 'tendency to suck in any and allmaterials` Within the sphere of: the c lower terials being operated upon`and i delivering :them.fromf'thevupperend ofz-thepipe l. f

. I havev found Ifrom actual` experience'that ing-tuba or the mouthofthennozzle, will be elevated together withafthe water drawn:

into the tube. This has `demonstrated in the salvage of sunken coalbarges and of the pipe "1 be readily inserted "into various portholes4,or channels of a vessel without necessitating the several adjustmentssuch as are now requiredfin the-"manipulation of` other submarinedredging In.` excavating river beds or vessels large' ofthe suctionpipe, andinthi'sveventlthe objects often clog or lchoke the lowerend' vofthe sleeve 7 tothus force *the cloggingg medium' away from the lowerend ofthe t it will` be understoody that .the vvalve connozzle.`Afterthisshas been accomplished, 90v trollingthepassage through thepipe'l211 f .is vturned ons'o as to repeat `the operation' of elevatingthe material 'through-the -ele-w'f vatingl `pipe and `its connections,asherein=A i before described.

K It will be appreciated" that rkthe llabbittir metal or other.packingm'aterial' arranged between' the rings* -8vv mayI be suppliedthrough a pipe 10', (Fig, 3) and the openj ing into which the pipe' Ais'4screwed :may -be afterward plugged asl is doney yin'fthe 'usualmechanical way. While v,Il V.havel lnot* shown ringsof`my-present5devi'ce- It willvthus be'seen that I provide an apparatuswherebyl a lifting'element is inany special meansfor thefintroductionffI t the packingbetween the rings 8,'.itfi's obvious 5 that anyfmethodsuchy as would suggest itself' toa-ny mechanic' 'may be employed in theintroduction offtheapackingbetween the i tube soy that an elevatingaction is 4affected i Also, v by materials which .may tend to clog-thelower' `vating "pipe, It. isi well `known` iin* submato release l the.obstruction at the lower end yupon the materials being "operatedVupon.' .1j i

thatI'provide an arrangement whereendf of the nozzle `may be'refrdilyldisplaced"V 1 so that whenf'the elevating inediumis again'`introduceddnto:the lowerend of the tube, 1

thematerialsthus displacedmaybe readilyff "'drawninto and forced upthroughthe-'elef/W frime dredging opera-tionsithatthe `intake endl;

- of a.. suction pipe oftenbecomescloggedand f #that it is necessarytof'send-adivery down,

when ai'runder pressurernrfwater, orsteam i i the ielevating yLn'iean'sf 80 valve controlling the liftingmedium pass-*il ingthrough the pipe-21is yturned olf and the 1 valve controlling I the" passage through `thepipe2l" is then openedso kas to'force fthe lifting medium l(air, water,or steam), outthrough thepassage '15 at' the lower end- 4 ofthe tube.However, `byfmy:arrangenfientjfi lof thezuntroduction of lintothe-zlower end of thextubeso y'as to: dis- ,charge thro-ugh the.saidxintakefend and luther'lce; to. direct the elevating." niediunr,to-11 ward the upper or outlet end of the tube, I not only provide anarrangement operable from the surface end of the elevating tube wherebyto conduct such operations without the use of a divers service, but alsoan arrangement whereby the work may be greatly accelerated. It will beunderstood that by the introduction of air, water or steam, into thelower end of the elevating tube that I not only provide an elevatingmedium which is introduced into the lower end of the tube, but also anarrangement whereby an elevating action is produced, so that theintroduction of the elevatin influence will tend to force the materia sbeing dredged u-p through the tube.

It is obvious that various minor changes of construction and arrangementof parts may be made in my inventlon over the details shown anddescribed, and I distinctly desire it understood that I do not confinemy invention to such minor details as those shown in the drawings, nordo I desire to be limited to the specificy details as herein describedsince the broad idea of my invention pertains to the arrangement of anapparatus whereby a lifting medium is introduced into the lower end of aso-called suction tube, combined with an arrangement for dispellingobjects which may tend to clog the lower end of the tube, thearrangement being such that the elevatin medium may be readily shut 0Hand con ucted toward the mouth of the tube whereby to dispel any objecttending to clog the mouth of the tube.

What I claim is 1. In dredging apparatus, an elevating tube, a sleevearranged in the lower end thereof and connected thereto providing upperand lower annular spaces, said spaces communicating with the upper andlower ends of the elevating tube, respectively, substantially asspecified, and means for conducting fluid under pressure to said spaces.

2. In dredging apparatus, an elevating tube having a sleeve arranged atits lower end and secured thereto, means interposed between the ends ofthe sleeve whereby to cut off communication between the upper and lowerends thereof thereby providin annular spaces between the said tube anthe said sleeve at the upper and lower ends of the latter, ringsarranged adjacent to thc upper and lower ends of said sleeve, and meansfor conducting fluid under pressure to the spaces formed by and betweenthe said tube and said sleeve substantially as and for the purpose specied.

3. In dredging apparatus, an elevating tube, a sleeve arranged in thelower end of said tube, said sleeve being of less diameter than saidtube, rings for locking said sleeve to said tube, said rings beingarranged intermediate the length of said sleeve, a packing arrangedbetween said rings whereby to cut ofi' communication between the upperand lower spaces or channels thus formed by and between said sleeve andsaid tube, rings arranged adjacent to the upper and lower ends of saidsleeve, said rings being carried by said tube, and means for conductingfluid under pressure to said spaces formed by and between the said tubeand the said sleeve.

4. In dredging apparatus, an elevating tube having a sleeve arran ed inits lower or suction end, rings to w ich said sleeve 1s held providingupper and lower annular spaces or channels, rings carried by saidelevating tube and arranged adjacent to the upper and lower ends of saidsleeve, said rings providing annular outlets from the spaces formed byand between the rst-men tioned rings, and means to supply fluid underpressure to said annular spaces, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

5. In dredging apparatus, an elevating tube having a sleeve arranged at.its lower or suction end, rings to which said sleeve is held providingupper and lower annular spaces or channels, rings carried by saidelevating tube and arranged adjacent to the upper and lower ends of saidsleeve, said rings being adjustably connected to said elevating tube.

6. In dredging apparatus, an elevating tube having a nozzle at its lowerend, said nozzle comprising an inner sleeve connected to the lower endof said tube, rings through which said sleeve is connected to the lowerend of said tube providing upper and lower spaces or channels, and meansfor supplying fluid under pressure to said spaces or channels,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of June,A. D. 1918.

FREDERICK WILLIAM EBELING.

Witnesses:

R. S. BLYDENBURGH, MILDnnD SIsENwnIN.

copies ofthis patent may te obtained for ve cents eaoh, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

